2004 Maserati Quattroporte Preview2004 Maserati Quattroporte - Destined to Disrupt Germanic Loyalties
How many Canadians actually know what a Quattroporte is, let alone have heard of the automotive term cum model name? If you're in the dark don't be too concerned, you'd need to be a serious Italian car fanatic to conger up images of the various Maserati sedans in question. That's right. Maserati, Italy's legendary sports car manufacturer actually makes 4-door variants. First introduced at the 1963 Turin auto show as a practical alternative to the brand's sport/luxury GTs, the Frua designed 1964 Quattroporte (translated: four-door) offered all the power and sophistication available in the automaker's sporty coupes and convertibles with seating for four full size adults.
After a seven year production run, and two additional years of sales, the exclusive model's availability - only 675 to 759 versions were sold depending on various reports - came to an end. An even rarer (13 built) Nuccio Bertone designed 190-hp V6 Quattroporte appeared in 1974 and 1975 prior to the 1976 presentation of newly empowered Maserati chief, Alejandro de Tomaso's Quattroporte III.
The resulting production car, the limousine of choice by many of the world's wealthy and influential, was a hit by all accounts selling well in Europe and North America throughout the late 1970s and the first half of the '80s, with a special limited edition Royale version (only 55 examples made) being produced from 1986 to 1990. The fourth generation Marcello Gandini penned Quattroporte released initially in Italy in 1994 never made it stateside and thus also never came to Canada. That's a shame as it was a solid step forward in performance over previous models.
But that was then, this is now. An all-new 4porte is being designed with the Americas in mind, as part of the Italian automaker's global assault on the sport/luxury vehicle market. A few intriguing artist's renderings were shown at Tokyo's "Artedinamica" exhibition in April of last year, causing a lot of commotion in the automotive press as well as with Maseratisti the world over.
The Pininfarina styled design shown in Japan, while not necessarily reflective of the production model scheduled to appear at the next Frankfurt Motor Show in September of this year, stirs emotional ties with yesteryear more so than any other Maserati design in recent memory. It's a bold statement, incorporating a large, protruding grille, sensually curvaceous bodylines and a long, low profile. No other carmaker produces anything closely resembling its shape, nor have I seen anything near as provocative from the concept designers of any manufacturer, with the possible exception of Chevrolet's latest SS Concept - ironically penned from a company best respected for its trucks and sport utilities.
But it's one thing to draw beauty and another for the engineers to transform style into functionality. Often much gets lost along the way. A few recent spy photos show a very different production car than these illustrations initially previewed, but heavily masked front and rear fascias make realizing an accurate picture virtually impossible to ascertain. Thus we're left guessing. One thing's for sure. Just like the original Quattroporte marked the first use of Maserati's race-proven V8 engine in a production car, the next generation 4-door will use race-proven V8 power. The only difference of course is that the 2004 model will derive the engine from its championship winning Ferrari sibling, as it did with the current 4200 Coupé and Spyder. There is talk of a slightly detuned 385-hp version, biased toward an increase in torque to compensate for the sedan's larger dimensions and resultant heavier curb weight. Like its sister cars the dual overhead cam, multi-valve Quattroporte engine will be 4.2-liters in size.
A few selectively chosen prospective customers have been shown top-secret pre-production images, one of which, President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, has been reported to have requested delivery of the first Maserati Quattroporte to leave the factory. While necessarily pro-Italian he was also obviously impressed enough to put his money behind his principals. To draw in the ultra-wealthy Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Maybach clientele, Maserati is additionally planning a special Royale limousine version, powered by a variation of the Ferrari Enzo's 6.0-L V12. If anywhere near the supercars 650-hp, 485 lb-ft of torque output, the new top-line Maserati will be the most powerful sedan in the world. 
But while the North American market is integral to Maserati's success it has no plans to offer an automatic gearbox alongside the Cambiocorsa sequential shifting manual transmission. Shiftless customers shouldn't be too concerned though. I've driven a Cambiocorsa equipped 2003 4200 GT Coupé in full-auto mode and it shifts smoothly considering its hydraulically-actuated manual cogs. No doubt Maserati will smooth it out further for its sedan application. It's also important to realize those interested in the Trident brand over a Mercedes or BMW, will most likely want the sporting advantages such a sophisticated F1 derived transmission has to offer, especially considering both the 'base' and Royale Quattroporte's substantial output. 
And it will need that power. Sources say that its overall length will equal 5,100 mm (201 in) and wheelbase may exceed three meters (118 in), making it longer overall than Mercedes-Benz's short wheelbase S-Class. Then again it needs to be at least as large to compete directly for S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Audi A8 customers, while offering yet more luxurious appointments and increasing performance - buyers in this category are traditionally loyal to their respective brands so the need for a dynamic statement of style, over-the-top opulence and authoritative power is paramount to cause them to make the jump. Simply, Maserati has to be quantifiably better in all areas.
An all-leather and Alcantara interior, richly detailed with wood and bright metal accents, and further highlighted with the latest in high-end audio, navigation and telematics equipment, should tease prospective customers into submission. Those falling for the car based on design, performance and creature comforts should be equally lured by the Italian brand's reliability ratings. Ferrari-Maserati models have proven to be surprisingly trustworthy road cars, mirroring the prancing horse brand's F1 dominance as of late. On the contrary, German manufacturers have been struggling to satisfy owners who complain to J.D. Powers, for one, of all-to-regular trips to the service counters of their respective dealerships to fix annoying problems.
On the whole the upcoming Quattroporte will not only represent a distinct and exclusive alternative to the current crop of luxury sedans, but will resolve longstanding and reportedly often heated discussions among Ferrari executives. Even Enzo himself pondered the possibility of a 4-door Ferrari to increase market reach and profitability, but thankfully chose not to risk diluting the Italian marque's most coveted asset, its brand identity. THe addition of Maserati to the family has changed all that. Its rich sedan heritage not only allows for entry into the high volume vertical but even sets the groundwork for a sport utility vehicle to rival Porsche's controversial new Cayenne. The new Maserati sedan shows forward thinking by a company that is once again becoming one of the most innovative in the premium sport/luxury class. While I'm secretly hopeful the finished design at least remotely reflects Ricerche e Sviluppo's refreshing Tokyo shown scale model, I'm resolved that any new Quattroporte will be an exciting new entry in what has become an overly Germanic market segment. Specifications:
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